All-Metro Bowling: Meet the top high schoolers in the Wichita area
The state bowling tournaments were likely the final championship events to reach their scheduled conclusions in the 2019-20.
Here are the All-Metro teams, made up of the top high school bowlers from Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties.
Boys
Blake Albers, Bishop Carroll, Jr.
Albers became the second Golden Eagle to win a boys bowling individual state championship in school history this season and the second in the past three years.
Albers joins former teammate Dillon Malone as Carroll’s lone champions after rolling a 766-pin series at state. He also finished 12th at Carroll’s Class 5-1A regional with 628 pins.
Brandon Bonta, Wichita Northwest, Jr.
Bonta has been one of the best bowlers in Kansas since he arrived at Wichita Northwest, and he carried that title again in 2019-20.
Bonta finished runner-up at state this season in Class 5-1A with 763-pin series. It is the third time in his career he has finished second at state. He also placed third at the Grizzlies’ regional with a 687-pin series.
Aidan Cain, Eisenhower, Jr.
Cain was arguably the most consistent postseason bowler in Kansas in this year. He didn’t drop further than 13th at regionals or state and hit the same pin total at each event.
He placed 13th at the Class 5-1A state meet with 676 pins, matching his fifth-place total at the Tigers’ regional.
William Day, Campus, Sr.
Day took a massive step for the Colts in his senior season.
After failing to reach the top 20 at state as a junior, he finished ninth in Class 6A with a 680 pin series. He also came in 10th at the Colts’ regional at 601 pins. He finishes his career with a team championship from 2019, too.
Silas Limes, Wichita Heights, Jr.
Silas carried on his family’s name in 2020. He became the third Falcon in school history to finish in the top three at state and the second in his family, following his brother Caleb.
Silas came third in Class 6A with a 720-pin series. He also came in 10th at Heights’ regional with 641 pins.
Peyton Montgomery, Eisenhower, Sr.
Montgomery might go down as the best bowler Eisenhower has seen.
With three top 10 finishes at the Class 5-1A meet, Montgomery capped his career coming a personal best third with a 751-pin series. He finished 20th at Eisenhower’s regional with 603 pins. He also came in sixth and 10th at state in his high school career.
Brent Cunningham, Derby, All-Metro Coach of the Year
Derby came home with its sixth state tournament trophy since 2012 this season.
The Panthers finished runners-up in Class 6A to Olathe East by fewer than 200 pins. Derby showed great depth, finishing one spot away from a state championship with only one placer in the top 20.
Girls
Kaylee Back, Bishop Carroll, So.
Back won the Class 5-1A state championship as a freshman last year and still hasn’t finished outside of the top five at state.
The Golden Eagle sophomore came fourth in 5-1A with a 651-pin series. She also finished third at Carroll’s regional with 586 pins. She won state last year with 662 pins.
Jadyn Barr, Andover Central, Sr.
Barr is Andover Central’s first girls bowling individual state champion in school history, and she did it in dominant style.
She won the Class 5-1A crown with a 703-pin series after winning the Jaguars’ regional as well at 736 pins. Only one player in school history has finished in the top two at state: Keri Ladigo in 2011
Casey Feast, Campus, Jr.
Last year, Feast helped Campus to a team state championship, and she did it again in 2019-20.
Feast finished 11th at state with a 608 pin series. She was the Colts’ second-highest finisher. She also won Campus’ regional meet with a 718-pin series.
Kensley Morris, Eisenhower, Jr.
Eisenhower won its second state tournament trophy since 2016 this season, and it wouldn’t have been possible without Morris.
She finished third at the Class 5-1A meet with a 654-pin series. She was fewer than 50 pins from first. She also came in fourth at Eisenhower’s regional with 580 pins. The Tigers finished runners-up as a team.
Piper Reams, Campus, Jr.
The chase continues for Reams, but her skill is undeniable.
Reams is one of the top bowlers in Kansas but hasn’t captured an individual state championship since her freshman year. She was runner-up this year in Class 6A with 723 pins. She finished fourth at the Colts’ regional with 566 pins.
Julianna Shear, Wichita South, Sr.
Shear had the best state tournament in school history.
Wichita South finished runner-up as a team in 2005, but no one has finished in the top five before Shear. She came in fifth with 634 pins and seventh at regionals with 526.
Kenny Fulkerson, Campus, All-Metro Coach of the Year
Last year, Campus swept Class 6A with team state championships on the boys and girls sides. This year, the Colts could only capture one for the girls, but it is Campus’ third straight title.
In fact, Fulkerson has coached five girls bowling state championship teams since 2015. This year, the Colts had four place in the top 25.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREPostseason honors selection
The Wichita Eagle’s postseason honors selection process is a combination of coaches’ comments, personal evaluation from sports reporter Hayden Barber and coaches nominations via All-State ballots. Postseason successes are heavily weighed.
This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 3:32 PM.